Abortion, Transgenderism, and Masks: Why Restoring a Respect for Life Matters

Restoring a culture of respect for the sacredness of life is one of NDCAN’s missions because it is essential to solving our country’s greatest challenges. Decades of legalized abortion has not only led to millions of deaths and countless psychological wounds, it has contributed to the pervasive devaluing of human life which has negatively impacted nearly every area of our society. It has led to the idea that government and culture are the arbiters of human worth and dignity instead of God. That our identity comes not from our Creator, but from our own subjective opinions about ourselves and others. What many do not realize or do not want to admit is that if we are going to say that human life in the womb is not inherently precious, that the unborn are merely parasites, blobs of tissue, or products of conception, then we must conclude that our own lives and the lives of our children outside the womb are not inherently valuable either. And notice that these terms are used when justifying abortion, but not in cases where the unborn is wanted. No one has ever had a Product of Conception Shower. Dehumanizing language has always been used to justify systemic oppression and murder and we must continue to be critically aware of this tactic to downplay the humanity of the unborn. 

Our society’s underlying beliefs about abortion extend to two other hot button issues that NDCAN tackled in last year’s legislative session: transgenderism and masks. One may wonder what on earth those two things have to do with each other and what they have to do with abortion. Where our culture lands on the treatment of the unborn directly influences our level of respect for our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. Because of the toxic influence of legalized abortion, our society’s current level of respect is unfortunately very low. We are seeing this play out by the social, psychological, and medical experimentation of children and teens in the form of forcibly masking students all day in school, and in the form of allowing them to choose their own gender. Our children are on the front lines of a cultural revolution that they are not equipped to handle.

What is the psychological impact of telling a child she must cover her face all day to keep herself and others safe? What is the impact on her ability to learn and socialize with her peers? 

We are experimenting on our young people. 

And what is the impact of telling an entire generation that biology is irrelevant and gender is fluid? What is the impact of sterilizing and surgically maiming young adults before they have the capacity to make such life altering decisions? 

We are experimenting on our young people. 

And it’s not just our young people who are being undervalued and left unprotected. We know that the declining respect for life paved the way for euthanizing the elderly, but it also paved the way for nursing home residents to be isolated and imprisoned due to COVID-19 regulations that not only were inhumane, but that were completely ineffective at stopping the virus. In June of 2020, all outside visitation to nursing homes abruptly ceased here in North Dakota. Nursing home residents were kept from their family and friends and were denied the dignity and freedom to choose who could be physically present to comfort them in their last days. In response to this injustice, NDCAN founding members were instrumental in the writing of and advocating for the Essential Caregiver Bill which allows for the designation of an outside caregiver even during states of emergencies like a pandemic. This bill ultimately passed into state law and paved the way for a federal Essential Caregiver Bill to be introduced last year. 

There’s no doubt that our society is dysfunctional in many ways and that a disrespect for the value of life is a common thread among most of them. It can be easy to feel discouraged or overwhelmed when we focus on what we are up against. However, the tide on the issue of life has been turning for quite some time. The landmark case before the Supreme Court is a culmination of decades of dedication among pro-lifers and proof that more and more people recognize that equality begins in the womb. We need to translate this awakening to the other challenges we face because honoring the dignity and inherent worth of every individual is fundamental to preserving a stable and civil society which is ultimately what we all want - not only for ourselves, but for future generations. 

For our children and their children.  

Amber Vibeto
Executive Director
January 17th, 2022